


An Act of Kindness

by sabaceanbabe



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-04
Updated: 2013-06-04
Packaged: 2017-12-13 23:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/830247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabaceanbabe/pseuds/sabaceanbabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Annie has a schedule, but she isn’t following it.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Act of Kindness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [forthegenuine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/forthegenuine/gifts).



> Written a while back for the prompt "quiet me," part of a tumblr meme. Unbetaed.

Annie traces the schedule on her arm with the tip of her finger, but she doesn’t feel the lines and shapes of it; all she feels is skin. Her breakfast grows cold in front of her as she picks at it - the food, her schedule. Everyone tells her she has to eat. Some of them joke about how bad the food is, but after weeks – months? – of barely anything at all, of just enough food to keep her body alive, at least until the last few days before the rebels came for them, Annie thinks the food here is wonderful. It’s just that there’s too much of it.

Finnick was gone before she woke. Peeta’s friend Delly came to their compartment at seven and took Annie to get her schedule for the day and then to the dining hall for breakfast, but she left a few minutes ago. She had a schedule to follow. Annie takes a bite of cold scrambled eggs and returns to tracing the lines on her arm. Annie has a schedule, too, but she isn’t following it.

“Annie?”

Her finger stills on her arm. She blinks hard once, twice, stares at her plate. It takes a moment to orient herself again. She’s in District 13. The Capitol and its terrors are thousands of miles away. They can’t touch her here. They can’t hurt her anymore.

Someone sets a tray across from Annie’s and slides onto the bench. Annie forces herself to look up. “Katniss?” The girl smiles at her, the expression almost as tentative as Annie feels.

“You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?” She looks as though she really will leave if Annie asks her to. Annie relaxes.

“No.” She doesn’t say anything else, but that doesn’t seem to bother Katniss.

“I’m supposed to be with Doctor Aurelius right now, but…” Katniss shrugs and takes a bite from a piece of bacon before continuing. “I’m hungry.”

Annie smiles at her and nibbles at a piece of toast. They sit there in silence for a few minutes while Katniss finishes her breakfast and Annie plays with her food. She knows she has to finish it – waste isn’t allowed in 13 – but it’s hard when she isn’t sure her stomach will accept it without a fight.

“Annie, I was thinking…” Annie jumps. She had almost forgotten Katniss was there.

“About what?” she asks the younger woman.

“Well, you and Finnick are getting married.” Annie smiles and closes her eyes, wanting to hold onto the sudden warmth that fills her for as long as she can. “I’m going back to District Twelve this afternoon. They want me to film a propo or something.” Katniss meets Annie’s eyes. “I guess I could look at my schedule, but I was thinking maybe you could come, too?

“The Victor’s Village there wasn’t damaged in the bombing” – Annie fights the urge to cover her ears – “so all those dresses Cinna designed for me are still in my house. Maybe one of them could be altered for you to wear to your wedding.”

No longer fighting the urge to cover her ears, instead Annie stares at Katniss and fights the urge to cry.


End file.
